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As a member of the MIAA and NCAA Division III associations, Hope College sponsors
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III National Championship women’s volleyball team.

Roberta Kraft Elected President of Michigan Music Teachers' Association

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Roberta Kraft Elected President of Michigan Music Teachers' Association

Roberta Kraft, adjunct associate professor of music at Hope College, has been inaugurated
as president of the Michigan Music Teachers' Association (MMTA).

Roberta Kraft, adjunct associate professor of music at Hope College, has been inaugurated
as president of the Michigan Music Teachers' Association (MMTA).

She assumed office on Tuesday, Oct. 20, during the association's 113th
state convention, held at the Crowne Plaza hotel on Sunday-Tuesday, Oct. 18-20. She
will serve a two-year term.

The MMTA has approximately 900 members, who are teachers at colleges and universities or teach in private studios. The MMTA is one of the largest of the 50 state organizations affiliated with the Music Teachers National Association, which has 24,000 members. Kraft's inauguration marks the second time this decade that a member of the Hope music faculty has served as state president. Joan Conway, professor of music, was MMTA president from 1990 to 1992. Immediately prior to becoming president, Kraft served a two-year term as the MMTA's vice president. Her activity at the state level has also included serving on the MMTA's 30-member Board of Directors for nine years as chair of Student Achievement Testing (SAT) Auditions. Her association with the MMTA began through the local chapter, Holland Piano Teachers Forum, which was established in 1969 and of which she was a charter member. The chapter affiliated with the state organization in 1971- 72, during the first of three terms that she has served the Holland chapter as president. Kraft began her involvement with the Student Achievement Testing program through the local chapter. The program now tests more than 4,000 preparatory students throughout the state, stressing not only performances but also music theory, aural awareness, technique and sight- reading. She was local chair of SAT testing for five years. She received the "Teacher of the Year Award" from the Holland chapter of the MMTA in 1995. Kraft has taught at Hope since 1975, and maintains a private studio. She also performs actively with Hope students and faculty, as well as with her husband, George, with whom she has given roughly 300 programs. She has taught public school in the Junction City, Kan., Holland and Saugatuck-Douglas school systems. She is a performing member of St. Cecilia Music Society of Grand Rapids, and a member of the American Guild of Organists and The National Guild. She earned her bachelor of music education degree at Wheaton College and a master of music degree at Indiana University. The MMTA was founded in 1885. The association seeks to promote and encourage the understanding, appreciation and study of the art of music; to elevate the economic and artistic standards of teachers of music; and to promote a closer professional fraternity.

Hope College has regained the MichiganIntercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) women's golfchampionship. The Flying Dutch have won the MIAA title for the fifth timesince women's golf became an intercollegiate sport in 1991capturing six of the eight conference tournaments. The FlyingDutch finished 90 strokes ahead of league runnerup Albion. Hope also won the MIAA championship in 1991, 1992, 1993 and1996. This is the first championship under coach Donna Eaton whotook over the helm of the Dutch this fall. It is actuallyEaton's second MIAA championship. She coached the Hopevolleyball team to the conference crown in 1987. The championship drive was led by junior Ellen Colenbrander(Holland HS) who established an MIAA record in winning medalisthonors for the second time in her collegiate career. This seasonshe averaged 80.8 strokes per 18-hole tournament round. Theprevious record was 82.8 strokes by Lisa Stover of Hope in 1993. Colenbrander was also the league medalist as a freshman(1996) and was league runnerup as a sophomore (1997). Lastspring she achieved NCAA All-America honors by finishing seventhin the Division III national championships. Hope had five players achieve All-MIAA recognition which isdetermined by seasonal averages. Joining Colenbrander on thefirst All-MIAA team is senior Gina Pellerito of Ada (Forest HillsCentral HS). She finished fifth in the seasonal standings withan average of 88.5. It is the third time that Pellerito hasachieved All-MIAA status. She was a first team honoree in 1995and 1996. She was studying in an off-campus program a year agoand did not play golf. Gaining All-MIAA second team honors were freshman EmilyThielk of Ann Arbor (Pioneer HS), senior Melody Oonk of Holland(Holland HS) and senior Elizabeth Yared of Grand Rapids (EastGrand Rapids HS). Thielk and Oonk finished seventh (92.0) andeighth (93.0) respectively in the seasonal standings while Yaredwas 12th (95.9). Oonk and Yared were also All-MIAA second teamhonorees in 1997. Other members of the team were junior Jessica Carpenter ofGrand Rapids (Comstock Park HS), sophomore Melissa Lucar ofGrandville (Calvin Christian HS), and freshman Kathryn Miller ofNovi (Novi HS).